Pitmasters Swear By Mop Sauce For The Best Barbecue, But What Does It Do?

If you ever watch a barbecue competition, there's a chance you'll see each pitmaster, at some point, hover over their meat with two items in their hands: a large container of liquid and a little mop. No, they're not cleaning it. These two items are used religiously by barbecue aficionados, who value the liquid, commonly referred to as mop sauce, because it imparts flavor while tenderizing and moistening their meat.

Don't confuse mop sauce with barbecue sauce — they are not the same thing. Barbecue sauce, widely available in grocery stores, is designed for finishing the meat; it's usually thicker, as it's commonly made with ketchup or tomato paste. It can also contain quite a bit of sugar, which easily burns, so it's best to apply it at the end.

However, mop sauce is often thinner. Instead, it starts with an acidic base — usually vinegar, apple juice, or an alcoholic beverage such as beer or bourbon — and also includes seasonings, such as garlic, onions, chili flakes, or Worcestershire sauce, and even a bit of brown sugar. Its ingredients help with the cooking process by tenderizing and moistening the meat. While it's easy enough to make your own, you can find store-bought options like Stubb's Moppin' Sauce.

The acid and enzymes found in such liquids as apple cider vinegar in a mop sauce break down the tough muscle fibers in meats. Some fruits can even tenderize meat, too. You can also add vinegar to store-bought barbecue sauce to make it better suited for mopping. Frequently basting your meat with a mop sauce works as a tenderizer. However, you'll want to use it on meat that cooks low and slow, such as ribs or brisket. A burger, for example, or a chicken breast will cook quickly on the grill and won't really benefit from this basting.

Of course, adding mop sauce frequently to your meat on the grill accomplishes roughly the same thing as basting your Thanksgiving turkey: It keeps the meat moist. Plus, any seasonings in the liquid will add to the overall flavor of the meat from all that repeated basting.

Finally, the little bit of sugar you add to mop sauce will also help create a bit of a char on the outside, known as bark, that seals in juices. So, do what the true pitmasters do — get mopping!